PADRES: Outfielders are coming up empty

Team remains in first place despite struggling offense

SAN DIEGO -- Having won 26 of their first 44 games, the Padres
can still afford to play with an outfield starving for offensive
production.

There is no panic -- at least not yet.

The Padres, however, acknowledge that there is an issue. They
realize that their pitching staff, which boasts a National
League-leading 3.03 ERA, is helping to mask the early woes of an
offense that has scored three or fewer runs in 23 of 44 games. At
the heart of those offensive problems is an outfield with a
collective .669 OPS -- on-base percentage plus slugging percentage
-- which ranks 27th out of 30 major league teams.

But their troubles can be lessened if the Padres can find a way
to get production from struggling left fielder Kyle Blanks, who is
on the disabled list with a mild elbow strain.

The Padres believe that Blanks, who hit .307 with 61 homers in
385 minor-league games, will be a major part of their plans moving
forward. They envision him as a middle-of-the-order hitter and were
willing to trade established third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff to
create playing time for him. Once Blanks returns from the DL, the
Padres will give him every opportunity to correct his flaws.

"He'll hit," general manager Jed Hoyer said of Blanks. "He's
always hit in the minor leagues. He's performed everywhere at a
young age. Some guys have a longer adjustment period than others.
The good part is we've played well anyway, and hopefully he'll
start to pick us up.

"He's still really a rookie in that (he only had 148
major-league at-bats coming into the season). The league adjusts to
you, and you have to adjust back, and part of being a big-leaguer
is making that adjustment."

Blanks isn't the only struggling bat in the Padres' outfield.
Center fielder Tony Gwynn Jr. is hitting .183 and carries a .294
OBP. Will Venable had several big hits in the last week but is
hitting just .233. The team's most productive outfielder, Scott
Hairston, is still a week away from being removed from the DL.

But manager Bud Black believes his best offensive options are
already on the team. He remembers Venable struggling in June and
July last season before catching fire. Gwynn started his time with
the Padres strong and then cooled off before adjusting and getting
back on track.

"We've been talking about some alternatives, and I think we have
the guys here (on) our roster," Black said last week.

At the same time, Hoyer and Black are realistic. If Blanks
continues to struggle after returning from a rehab assignment, or
if Gwynn or Venable can't provide a consistent bat, the Padres will
look outside the organization for help. Especially if they stay in
contention in a division filled with flawed teams.

For now, however, the best option is to stick with their
young.

"You always talk about external options, but you have to wait
until other teams are ready to deal and teams are not ready to make
deals," Hoyer said. "Obviously, at some point, you have to think
that way."

Padres notes

1B Adrian Gonzalez was named the National League player of the
week after batting .444 with six runs and nine RBIs. ... OF Luis
Durango will be recalled from Triple-A Portland before Tuesday's
game. He will take the place of RHP Luis Perdomo.

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Down and out in the outfield

How the Padres compare to their NL West rivals in the cumulative
offensive production of their outfielders.